No, turnout won't be 'a factor'
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Turnout is likely to be low in this election. I guess it will be between the 67 per cent last time and the record low of 59 per cent in 2001. There may be some hand wringing about the lack of democratic engagement, but turnout is not a factor that is independent of politics. If there is a low turnout, it will have happened for two reasons.
One will be Conservative-inclined voters staying at home because they are so annoyed with the government but do not want to vote for Nigel Farage. The other will be that the result of the election is not really in doubt – that applied in 2001, although this time that effect may be offset by the excitement of change.
So a low turnout will not mean that democracy is in crisis. Even so, a higher turnout is always better than a lower one. My idea is that young people should be paid a cash sum for voting in their first election to encourage the democratic habit. |
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Which three daily newspapers have supported the same party at every election since 1979? |
Answer at the bottom of today's email |
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| Kate Devlin and I rank the last five leaders of the nation from best to worst |
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| The home secretary was not amused |
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| Bridget Phillipson says schools have overcharged so they won't mind if fees go even higher |
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What else you need to know today |
- Ask Stella Creasy, a Labour candidate, anything in an exclusive Q&A session with The Independent tomorrow
- Andrea Jenkyns, the Tory MP who used Nigel Farage on her campaign leaflet, has fallen out with Reform UK
- Stanley Johnson writes for The Independent about getting that plane stuck at Heathrow
- I wrote at the weekend about Sue Gray, Keir Starmer's chief of staff, who is ready for the transition to government
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Why does talk of a Labour landslide worry Keir Starmer? |
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Kate Devlin explains why the Labour Party's pre-election definitely-not-a-rally was so muted... Read more |
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Tomorrow on the campaign trail |
Our political commentator Andrew Grice on what to look out for |
The party leaders will continue to criss-cross the country as they make their closing arguments. Keir Starmer will be in the Midlands, reminding people that if they want change they need to "vote for it", while Rishi Sunak will warn that a vote for any party other than the Conservatives makes a Labour "supermajority" more likely. Labour will highlight its plans to use high street opticians such as Specsavers to reduce NHS waiting lists for eye treatment. On a visit to a seaside town, Ed Davey will announce that the Liberal Democrats will table a bill to clean up waterways and punish polluting firms to tackle the "sewage crisis" (which sounds a bit like the Suez Crisis). The UK in a Changing Europe think tank will hold a "seats to watch" online event at 1pm. A woman is due to appear at Colchester Magistrates Court charged with assault and criminal damage after a milkshake was thrown over Nigel Farage on 4 June. |
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"The Labour Party was not formed to lose elections time and time and time again, it was formed to improve the lives of millions of working people – that is impossible in opposition" Keir Starmer responds to Jeremy Corbyn's warning against crushing dissent |
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Quiz answer: Daily Mail and The Daily Telegraph (Conservative), and Daily Mirror (Labour); Daily Express supported Labour in 2001 |
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